Original air date: 11/5/2008
Following the 2008 US presidential election, Barack Obama catches everyone off guard when he arrives at the White House prematurely. Meanwhile, the Barack Obama supporters of South Park celebrate Obama's victory, while the John McCain supporters fear the end of the world and take shelter.
"About Last Night" contains examples of:
- An Aesop: The result of an election is not going to be as bad or as good as you think it will be. The world won't instantly end just because the guy you voted for lost, and just because you voted for the winner doesn't mean all your problems are solved or that you're immune from the consequences of your own actions.
- Bait-and-Switch: When Michelle visits him in the Oval Office, Barack is nervous about talking to her, appearing as if she's unaware of the caper. However, he quickly composes himself and reveals that the security system was changed and needs Michelle's help in cracking it, who responds in annoyance that they failed to consider that scenario.
- Becoming the Mask: After the heist is successfully pulled off, Barack has second thoughts. He says goodbye to his teammates and says he is going to try to be the president and live in the White House with Michelle and the girls.
- Brick Joke: In his only appearance this episode, Cartman is busy selling TV sets he's stolen during the chaos from a cart strapped to his Big Wheel. At the end of the episode, Randy wakes up (severely hungover), and wonders where his TV is.
- The Caper: The 2008 presidential election is revealed to be merely a step in a plan to steal the Hope Diamond.
- Character Catchphrase: Obama and McCain's team all say "Boom, baby" as the plan comes together. Even Ike says it when he's working from the South Park hospital to switch fake death reports for the crew as well as blow up the fake getaway plane.
- Didn't Think This Through: Randy thinks because Obama won that he can get away with acting like a complete jackass and punching his boss in the face while drunk. He's promptly proven wrong when his boss fires him the next day.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: Kyle's toddler brother Ike was the key player in Obama and McCain's heist.
- Driven to Suicide:
- Ike, a devoted McCain supporter as part of his cover on the heist attempts to jump out a window... from the first floor of the house.
- Played straight with a number of McCain voters who, buying into the fearmongering of the campaign rhetoric, are seen harming themselves and one even hanging from a noose.
- Faking the Dead: To cover their absence, a plane full of dummies representing all the heist members explodes.
- Hypocritical Humor: Randy, an Obama supporter, gets drunk as election night progresses and starts assaulting everybody else across town arguing "things are gonna be different under Obama" as though he can get away with all his abuse. When he sobers up the next morning, his house is a wreck and his drunken antics cost him his job. Randy immediately blames Obama.
- I Choose to Stay: At the end, Barack decides to stay and run America as president, with Michelle joining him.
- Let No Crisis Go to Waste: As explained above, Cartman takes advantage of the chaos to steal people's TVs, and asks Stan and Kyle if they want to buy one.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Sarah Palin proves to be far more intelligent when outside the public eye. She also speaks in a posh British accent.
- Shout-Out: To Ocean's Eleven.
